The present invention relates generally to a fine adjusting driving apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus that holds and finely adjust the orientation of an optical element (lens, mirror, and the like) of an exposure apparatus used for fabricating semiconductor or crystalline liquid devices.
A semiconductor exposure apparatus transfers many different patterns from an original form (or reticle) onto a silicon wafer (or substrate). It is therefore necessary to not only promote resolution performance but also superimposing performance, in order to make a fine integrated circuit.
Superimposing error in a semiconductor results from alignment error (i.e. alignment error between the reticle and wafer), image distortion, magnification error and the like. The alignment error may decrease by adjusting the position between the original form (or reticle) and the substrate (or wafer). On the other hand, by moving a part of an optical element in an optical system, the image distortion and the magnification error may decrease. When the optical element does not move in the desired direction, is decentered, and inclines before the part of the optical element moves, it is difficult to achieve the desired optical performance (i.e. optical performance corrected in the image distortion and magnification error). For example, when the optical element moves to an optical direction, decentering error and gradient error elements should not increase.
An apparatus for moving an optical element in a conventional semiconductor exposure apparatus uses a parallel leaf spring apparatus (U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,133) or an apparatus using a parallel link mechanism (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/163741).
However, in the above cases, the moving apparatus utilized for moving an optical element requiring fine surface accuracy, transmits force to the optical element when moving the optical element. When applied to the optical element, the local force deforms the optical element and degrades optical performance. Accordingly, a holder that holds the optical element, should be arranged between the optical element and the moving apparatus (e.g. part for generating driving power) to prevent force.
Even if the holder is arranged between the optical element and the moving apparatus, a deformation of the optical element increases when a position on which the moving apparatus applies force to the holder and a holding position on which the holder holds the optical element are as described by FIG. 2 of U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/163741, i.e. the relation between a position on which the moving (driving) apparatus applies force to the holder differs from a position on which the holder holds the optical element by 60° around an optical axis.
Accordingly, it is an exemplary object of the present invention to provide a driving apparatus (i.e. holder) of an optical element for reducing the face deformation of the optical element during translation, decentering adjustment and gradient adjustment of the optical element, and an optical apparatus (i.e. general optical apparatus such as an exposure apparatus, astronomical telescope and the like) which includes this driving apparatus.